The Sky is The Limit

The idea

Starting up the idea

Lucy in the Sky, 3 micro hotels, combines the power of architects and visual artists in to an extraordinary urban retreat. When sleeping in a Lucy, you will spend your night in a work of art. Each retreat is designed for a specific location and offers a unique view on the surroundings. The name Lucy in the Sky was chosen because we see our rooms as diamonds attached to existing buildings or structures , co-existing with their host. Every Lucy is a single room hotel and offers 100% privacy, once checked in you can leave the stress of everyday life behind and enjoy viewing the harbour or the street life. Not only a royal Auping bed can be found in the room, but also a unique piece of textile-art (designed by artist Annemiek Pruijt) functioning as bedspreads for the cooler nights. Every Lucy a different bed cover, produced by the Dutch textile museum Tilburg.

In 2011 we started the process by inviting 4 architects and 4 artists to team up and work on a design for a unique single room hotel. Each team consists of an artist and an architect (or duo’s) and by combining these 2 disciplines the project Lucy in the Sky explores how design in buildings and public space can be uplifted. More interesting, more inspiring and more innovative. Each team has its own signature and so does each design.
The first thing to do for the teams was to explore the area and come up with an idea, this periode of research gave us 4 designs from which we choose 3 to build.

Well, she’s three of a kind. The first is Lucy Cube, build on top of the old grain hopper at the waterside, designed by MuldersvandenBerk architects & Rob Sweere. A large white Cube as monumental as the work of both team partners. Then there is Lucy GLXY designed by Studio Groen & Schild and Spacecowboys, referring to marine life or aero -space, your own vessel for an intergalactic hike through the galaxy, at the main entrance of the Havenkwartier. Number three is Lucy PWR a robuste, urban design by Maurer Architects & Boris Tellegen and like a true nomad she will follow free space were ever there is. For the time being LucyPWR is now located on a free lot in between a new housing plot, but in due time she’ll probably end up in the water.
And what about the fourth Lucy a design by DUS Architects and Andreas Hetfeld , well the point is this Lucy was meant to be build on top of the large grey elevator, the icon of the area . After long intense debate and research we finally decided not to start with trying to build this one because of safety reasons.

The project which started in 2011 became reality in 2014. Thanks to many many partners the project was financed, organized, realised and will be open for public till 2019.